A phytoscreen identifies a garlic compound as a deterrent of mating and egg laying in Drosophila and mosquitoes
Summary
One means of controlling insect disease vectors and pests is with compounds that manipulate their behavior. An extraordinary variety of phytochemicals, i.e., compounds produced by plants, activate insect chemosensory systems. Fruits and vegetables present a source of compounds that are inexpensive and safe. A "phytoscreen" of 43 fruits and vegetables identified garlic as a potent deterrent of mating and egg laying in Drosophila. Diallyl disulfide, a garlic compound, deters both behaviors.
Content
# A phytoscreen identifies a garlic compound as a deterrent of mating and egg laying in Drosophila and mosquitoes
*Published: 2026 Apr 17*
One means of controlling insect disease vectors and pests is with compounds that
manipulate their behavior. An extraordinary variety of phytochemicals, i.e.,
compounds produced by plants, activate insect chemosensory systems. Fruits and
vegetables present a source of compounds that are inexpensive and safe. A
"phytoscreen" of 43 fruits and vegetables identified garlic as a potent
deterrent of mating and egg laying in Drosophila. Diallyl disulfide, a garlic
compound, deters both behaviors. Mating and egg-laying effects depend on taste
and the TrpA1 channel. Garlic inhibits mating and egg laying in Aedes vector
mosquitoes and mating of the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans. Garlic exposure
increases expression of Drosophila head genes, including female-specific
independent of transformer (fit), which encodes a satiety hormone that is
essential for the effect of garlic on egg-laying preference.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.03.037